Someone sent you a link. It looks okay… but is it really? Whether that person was a friend or a stranger, if it’s a link you weren’t expecting, you shouldn’t really click it. Email, SMS, Facebook, Twitter or some other social network or collaboration tool… whatever you’re using, there’s an opportunity for scammers and spammers to send you links. Most of the time they’re probably safe. But when they’re not, disaster can strike. One of the quickest-growing security issues these days is ransomware, which is...
Seaton Dubman
Posted on October 2nd, 2017
We’ve written ad infinitum about why you should back up files and what can happen if you don’t. Worst case scenario? You lose all of your apps, data, settings, and files, forcing you to start over from scratch. A major inconvenience — and one that you can avoid so easily. But even if you do decide to back up your stuff, you may be stuck with this follow-up question: Which files and folders should I back up? Keep reading to find out, plus learn about which files and folders you should ignore. Files and Fo...
Seaton Dubman
Posted on September 28th, 2017
Have you ever browsed the Windows Task Manager and wondered what some of the entries were for? The Windows system process section, which is at the bottom of the list in the Windows 10 Task Manager, holds some processes that are critical to your computer running properly. What do these processes do, and what would happen if you ended them? Let’s look at some of the most important entries. Note: The new Task Manager in Windows 8.1 and 10 refers to some of these entries with friendlier names, like Windows L...
Seaton Dubman
Posted on September 28th, 2017
If you often write HTML in an editor and then paste into WordPress, you’ll notice that sometimes annoying formatting tags (like tags) are added. Using simple shell scripts, you can automatically clean up that garbage HTML formatting with a few simple commands. Why use shell scripting? If you’re new to programming, it’s much, much better to start small. Not only are you less likely to give up, but you’ll have opportunities to stop and learn along the way. That said, your first programs can be really usef...
Seaton Dubman
Posted on September 28th, 2017
Keyboard shortcuts have always remained the quickest "hack" for productivity. It may not seem so, but trying to do everything with the mouse does add up over time. Turn to your keyboard instead. If you are on Windows, then learning the many Windows shortcuts can take a while. The best advice I can give? Practice one shortcut for a week. That’s still 54 in a year, which is a lot, so here are some of the most valuable ones you should start with. Start With the Modifier Keys The Shift key has been a modifie...
Seaton Dubman
Posted on September 28th, 2017
Here’s a stupid geek trick for you. When was the last time you typed in upside-down or backwards text? Probably never. But did you know it’s possible? Whether you want to goof around and freak out your friends or just dress up a website, there’s a site that will let you quickly generate gravity-challenged text. Head to the Unicode Text Converter page to check it out. It’s a barebones site so there’s not much to see. Simply enter text in the bar near the top, and click the Show button to get a list of fan...
Seaton Dubman
Posted on September 28th, 2017
Listening to music is a social activity. Topics for discussion abound, whether they center on lyrics, rhythms, or something else. However, what happens when your music-loving pals live far away? Thanks to the 10 awesome apps below, it’s easy to listen to music with your friends, even if they live far away. It should be noted that most of the apps here require access to a music streaming service such as Spotify Premium. That shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for most people though. Since 2012, Spoti...
Seaton Dubman
Posted on September 27th, 2017
Did you know you can use a USB stick to secure your computer when you’re in public? Obviously, it can’t stop someone picking up your machine and walking away with it (unless the USB stick is made of lead), but it can stop prying eyes from having a quick look at your personal documents while you’re stood up ordering your next iced frappe-latte-mocha-chino. Sounds great, but how can you make this magic happen? It’s all thanks to a wonderful little app called Predator. The Predator app lets you lock and unl...
Seaton Dubman
Posted on September 26th, 2017
